Gottlieb releases statement on probiotics, announces workshop

Scott Gottlieb, Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), released a statement on Thursday discussing the role of probiotics and microbiota in the biologic landscape.

Discussing the difficulties posed by probiotic therapy, Dr Gottlieb referenced ongoing attempts to prevent necrotizing enterocolitis in premature infants.

"Understanding whether the use of probiotics for premature infants can have a clinically significant beneficial effect, and which types of probiotics may be most effective, is important, as serious side effects have been reported with their use in this population," he said.